More than 30,000m2 of Penrhyn Heather Blue natural slate roofing from North Wales has been supplied by Alfred McAlpine Slate to the Ballamona Hospital on the Isle of Man (pictured above).

Penrhyn roofing was specified by the Manx Government because of its natural aesthetic qualities and because it will provide minimum maintenance service over a long period, as the Government has discovered on other public buildings on the island it has roofed in the slate.

Ballamona Hospital is one of the largest single contracts to feature Penrhyn slates and Davidson Marsh Barua-Tad, the architects, had designed in a large number of slate vents. That necessitated a major programme of testing, based on site conditions, because of the long rafters used in the design of the roof of the operating theatre.

Local contractor Clover Asphalt finished fixing the slate at the end of the year, although the whole project will not reach fruition for another 12 months.